For a decision in principle, we will conduct a soft credit search which won’t affect your credit score. For all full applications submitted, a hard credit search will be undertaken.

Our use of Credit Reference Agencies if you are applying for our Residential finance, in considering your application we will search your personal, and where applicable, business record at one or more Credit Reference Agencies. They will add details of our search to your records and your application will be seen by other organisations that make searches.

Information held about you by the Credit Reference Agencies may already be linked to records relating to one or more of your partners. If you are a director, we will seek confirmation from Credit Reference Agencies that the residential address that you provide corresponds to the address listed on the restricted register of directors’ home addresses at Companies House.

Information on the performance of any will be recorded against each director to the finance with Credit Reference Agencies. We will also add to your personal, and where applicable, business record with one or more of the Credit Reference Agencies details of your agreement with us, the payment you make under it, any default or failure to keep to its terms and any change of address you fail to tell us about where a payment is overdue.

These records will be shared with other organisations and used by us and them to trace debtors, recover debt, and to manage your accounts.

By making a joint application, you confirm that you are entitled to: disclose information about your joint applicant (note that for the purpose of limited company applications director / guarantors are considered applicants) and anyone referred to by you; and authorise us to search, link or record information at Credit Reference Agencies about you and anyone referred to by you.

If you provide personal data about another person to us, you should provide them with this information concerning the processing of their personal data.

For further information on how Credit Reference Agencies use your personal data, please see the Equifax website.